Not Really Valentines
by DrRJSB
Summary: Three stories featuring couples from Special Needs: A Bruce and Natasha FanFic. They're not Valentines, but they are Avengers Romances.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Natasha and Bruce both have trust issues, but they also won't let Ross's machinations, Bruce's feelings about his alter ego, or Natasha being forced to break a promise come between them. Everything seems upside down, but sometimes that needs to happen.

 **Notes:** This is a _Special Needs_ flashback story that does involve romance, but otherwise has nothing to do with Valentine's Day. It fits in between Logan's first training visit at the tower and leads into the first visit to Tony's lodge and quarry lake property upstate, and it would fall on Friday, August 28, 2015, or almost four months after _Age of Ultron_. These are my versions of the characters after 58+ chapters of development, so do not expect them to be exactly like the Avengers films.

Thank you to my wonderful Beta-Reader, Autumn_Froste, who writes some excellent pieces of her own, which you should check out on AO3.

 **Part One of Three  
**

 **Trust Me: Natasha and Bruce**

 **Friday, August 28, 2015**

"Come on, Bruce, move it!" Natasha urged him over the coms as he slid over the top of the final wall and dropped to the muddy pit below. As the shitty coup de grâce to a shitty day, he managed to turn his ankle in the muck and stumbled over the finish line in what he was sure was a shitty course time just as the rain went from drizzle to downpour. Logan and Natasha had chewed his ass up one side and down the other of the military training course. In Logan's case, it was over the loudspeaker system. Bruce knew some of this was for the benefit of the people watching from behind the closed-circuit cameras and in the control booth, but he had to admit it was getting to him enough that he didn't have to "stay in character" to look pathetic because he felt tired and miserable and his temper was getting ready to flare. Today they were scheduled for an outdoor Parkour session—a rare trip outside the tower he'd secretly looked forward to for weeks, but Ross's people had pulled a surprise evaluation—something they had the right to demand twice, so they'd ended up spending the afternoon in New Jersey on a military base, using an advanced training area he guessed was for secret ops or some other elite squad. Not exactly how he wanted to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon that was sliding into a cold, wet evening.

The water and mud dripped off of him, and his ankle was beginning to throb as he stood there a minute catching his breath. The sprain would heal up quickly, but right now he needed to get it iced and elevated just in case it was something worse. Unfortunately, it looked like he was going to get poked and prodded a bit first. He could see Natasha and Logan having a rather heated discussion with Ross's people and a few oversight board members inside the observation room. Bruce hadn't been dismissed, but he'd had about all he could take. He hobbled over to a bench and pulled off his right cross-trainer to look at the damage. Sure enough, there was swelling along the top and side with a clear hint of burgundy and purple bruising. He looked around, but there wasn't much by way of amenities in the immediate area.

The door of the observation room burst open and Nat and Logan marched out and slammed the door behind them. "Let's go," she ordered from under her slicker's hood, and Bruce hardly got his bare foot shoved back into his ruined athletic shoe before Logan grabbed his shoulder on the injured side and quickly slipped under his arm to support him as they walked swiftly back in the direction of Avengers Quinjet 2. Bruce didn't say anything as the shorter man half carried and nearly dragged him forward into the intensifying rain. It was all too obvious something had gone seriously wrong and there were going to be repercussions. He noted Logan wasn't wearing a bit of raingear at all. Bruce's next thought was to wonder how he'd fucked something up, but he knew there was no way this had much to do with how well or poorly he'd performed on the course. It was something above his head that he likely had no control over. He had to trust Natasha and Logan to do what needed to be done.

Lightening lit up the sky overhead and a thunderclap quickly followed. This didn't bother Bruce so much, but he was being manhandled by someone whose bones were laced with metal, and that gave him pause. He'd wanted to avoid bringing out Hulk, but he wasn't at all certain he could avoid that if there was a direct hit. He opened their senses and lines of communication up as much as he could to try and give the Other Guy some lead-time to be ready. As reluctant as he was to have much to do with him, Bruce was going to need to trust the Hulk.

Natasha was about six yards ahead of them when they skirted a World War II era Quonset hut made of corrugated steel and held together with decades of paint and tar. As she cleared the end of the old barrel-shaped building, she turned her head and the lightening flashed as she said, "Trust me, Bruce." He barely had time to register what she said when he heard an explosion that wasn't thunder and felt the ground moving beneath him and realized Logan had turned loose of his arm. Bruce let go of his control and gave himself completely over to Hulk's instincts, which said to push Logan clear of the impending blast and whatever was going on beneath them. Next, he had to protect Natasha and remove them both from the immediate area.

In the split second it took the plan to form, his body had expanded painfully fast, and he scooped up Logan with a large green hand and launched him into the air like a cannonball away from the forming pit. That should put him clear of the danger zone and the X-Man's healing factor ought to take care of any resulting damage from the rough landing. Bruce felt himself mentally shoved to the side as Hulk took over and fought he way free of the collapsing section of earth to Natasha's side. It was her turn to barely register what he was doing in time to react. He swept her into his arms and made another leap to put them beyond the pending lightening strike and collapsing booby-trap. Hulk cradled and curled around Natasha, held her to his chest, and knelt as the ground sunk and crashed inward behind them and lightening hit the nearby metal Quonset hut. The racket of electrified wet metal and collapsing earth was rather spectacular and pelted his back with debris.

Hulk held still, kneeling with his broad back to the catastrophe, and braced for further explosions or disasters—natural or not. The rain continued to come down. He could feel Natasha was shaking, so after he'd waited a sufficient amount of time, Hulk finally loosened his protective grip. She seemed all right as she looked up at him. "You, okay?" he asked her.

"Yes, I'll be fine, Big Guy. I'm so proud of you."

"Why?" he asked.

"It's a long story. I just did something I swore I'd never do again to prove how far you've come—that you can handle yourself in an unexpected situation. Unfortunately, Bruce may never forgive me."

Hulk looked at her skeptically as she climbed down out of his arms. "Bruce forgives. Bruce loves you." He was relieved his words were there and his thinking was clearing thanks to Bruce surrendering all the communication and intelligence he could. He'd also claimed all the pain he could, which Hulk had warned him not to do. Quit being a masochist, Hulk grumbled at him, but he wasn't sure Bruce heard.

Natasha wrapped her arms around her middle. "Bruce trusts me, too, but maybe he shouldn't. Those assholes sprang this on us, hoping something awful would take place and you'd hurt me. If that didn't happen, they wanted to drive a wedge between us. I'm certain of that."

"Well, you're okay. I didn't go on a bender. We ought to check on Logan, but I'm sure he's had a lot worse," Hulk surmised with a sniff. He only trusted Logan as far as he could throw him, but that had turned out to be several hundred yards. The irony certainly amused him.

"I know. You're right. Let's find him and get out of the rain."

"Is that all there is to this test? Big boom and collapse the pit under us?"

"Yes, the rain and the lightening was the whipped cream and cherry on top, but it wasn't part of their plan."

"All right. Just checking." Hulk had a pretty good idea where the feisty X-Man had landed, so they dodged around a few outbuildings and found him heading back in their direction through an adjacent field. The rain hadn't quit, but it was starting to let up.

"That might have been fun if you'd given me a little warning, Big Green," Logan grumbled as they approached. He'd somehow managed to keep his well-worn cowboy hat intact, but his jeans were almost as mud-covered as Hulk and Bruce's uniform pants.

"Sorry. I was afraid you were going to get fried and include me in the 'fun'," Hulk explained. He was trying hard to keep a straight face.

Logan snorted, "Yah, you've got a point. Nice to hear you this articulate."

"Bruce knew something was about to happen, so he gifted me all the communication skills he could."

"Interesting," Logan said as he squinted up at the jade giant. "We'll have to talk about this more later. Looks like you two are okay, and neither of you murdered each other. Screw Ross and his prissy ass rep for coming up with this." He spat onto the ground in disgust.

"Do we need to check back with them before we leave?" Natasha asked.

"I'll take care of it," Logan said. "They've fucked around with you both enough for one day. Now they get to deal with me."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Natasha told him. "Do you need a ride?"

"Nope, my bike is back under an awning at the gate. Go home! You've earned it." He turned to head back to the observation area then paused and looked back. "Natasha, you did the right thing. The only way these bastards win is if they drive you apart. Banner may not be happy about it, but he'll understand your choice." Natasha nodded at her former mentor's words, but she was still worried about Bruce's possible reaction.

Hulk wanted to ask for details about what had happened in the observation room, but he thought he had the gist of what must have gone down. He knew from Bruce that his side had agreed to a couple of random stress tests to evaluate Bruce's and his control. That's how the afternoon had started out. Apparently, once they were on site, Ross's people had revealed they'd cooked up something more diabolical than putting Bruce through an obstacle course in the miserable rain. The use of live explosives to literally try and set him off had put Natasha and Logan between a rock and hard place. Either they cooperated and set Bruce and him up, or they admitted that both were still dangerous and unpredictable. Hulk wasn't certain how much the bastards knew about Sokovia and what had happened and the choice Natasha had made in that fortress when the city started to fly, but today's forced betrayal was certainly reminiscent of her sacrificing Bruce's autonomy to bring "the Big Guy" out in Sokovia.

Hulk could see Natasha's normally straight shoulders were sagging a bit. He could practically smell the waves of guilt coming off her. "Hey, 'Tasha, ride?" he asked, hoping to cheer her up or at least get her to talk.

"Sure."

He bent down on one knee and offered his hand as a foothold for her to step up his arm and mount his shoulders and neck. Even with her rain slicker, she was shivering again. He may have been more soaked than she was, but his body heat would help warm her up. "So, they forced your hand, and you feel like you've let Bruce down?"

"Don't let anyone say you aren't intuitive, Big Guy. Yes, but worse. I promised I'd not take Bruce's choice about transitioning away again, and that's basically what we did. I've collaborated with the enemy and broken my promise."

"Look, 'Tasha, Bruce knew something was up. He gave everything he could to me before the transformation, or I wouldn't be talking to you like this. He trusts you. Hell, he's finally started to trust me . . . mostly. He probably won't even think there is anything that needs forgiving on your part. He'll understand." Hulk couldn't see her face, but she stroked his damp hair through her fingers, and he could feel a little of the tension ease out of her. He took the long way around the warren of buildings they'd come past before, and they found AQ-2 where they'd left it next to the landing strip. He lowered himself to one knee, and Natasha dismounted and stepped lightly down his arm.

"I guess this is good-bye for now," she told him. "I'll make a point of being at your next therapy session."

"Thanks. I'm looking forward to it."

"Me, too."

"I probably won't be able to speak this well, but I'll know what you're saying."

Natasha nodded, "I know."

"Look," he said, scratching the back of his head, "Bruce is going to be pretty mad, but he's not mad at you. Let him yell. Take him home and work your frustrations out. He kind of over did it making sure I'd have control, so it's not going to be pleasant for him."

Natasha started laughing. She covered her mouth with her hand, but she couldn't stop. "I'm sorry. It's just that everything is turned around upside down. You're patient and calm and he's angry and I'm scared and Logan is cleaning up loose ends. What the fuck are we doing?!"

"I hadn't thought of it that way. I guess you're right." Hulk started to chuckle, too. They stood there laughing for a few minutes before they sobered up. "Time to go," he said and held out his hand to her. She traced his pulse points down his arm to his wrist, palm, and fingers. He felt the jolt like a switch had been thrown. Hulk brushed the side of her face with his index finger and collapsed onto his knees. He took all of the pain that he could as Bruce rushed back into control.

Bruce was so angry that he kept physically shaking even after the transition had ended. He'd pitched forward from his knees onto his hands, and he was so hot that steam was coming off his back. Natasha stepped closer to try and assist him, but he waved her off. He had to do this on his own. He got up and looked around until he located the nearest observation camera. He still felt hot and shaky, but mentally he was in perfect control. Bruce walked over to the pole where the camera was mounted as it tracked him.

His voice came out just above a harsh whisper over the rain. "You are never coming between us again. Understand? You're afraid of setting Hulk off when I'm the one you should be afraid of ticking off. You crossed a line. Never again."

With that, he gave the camera one last furious look before he turned and stalked back to the Quinjet and boarded it behind Natasha. As soon as the hatch was sealed, Bruce grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. His eyes weren't green, but they were very dark. "Friday, fly us back home. Privacy Level 11," he ordered in a hoarse voice. "I mean it, Natasha. Nothing comes between us." The surprise on her face eased, and he pressed his forehead to hers. He was still shaking. How could he be so vulnerable, yet absolutely dangerous all at once? Natasha thought

"I love you," she told him. He pulled her closer, and pressed his lips to hers. Natasha responded to their warmth and softness, but she could feel him shaking. Was it excitement, nervousness, or was he fighting some inner battle for control? She wasn't certain, so she kept kissing him as he took the slicker off her shoulders and let it drop to the deck. After a few deep breaths, he was steadier, but his hands felt clumsy as he fumbled with the zipper on her uniform until he had it unfastened down to her belt. Another couple of deep, steadying breaths, and he soon had the leather pulled off her shoulders. He kissed her neck gingerly as he unfastened her bra and stripped if off her. His hands went to her breasts and he squeezed and kneaded them before licking and sucking the nipples to attention. She thought Bruce finally seemed in control again.

"Friday?" she asked in a husky voice.

"Radiation is well within the acceptable range," the Interface responded.

Bruce growled and pulled her uniform down as she freed her arms and hips. He tugged at her boots, and they soon joined her raincoat on the deck. Natasha stepped out of the uniform, and he knelt down before her, burying his face in her Under Armour shorts then pulling the waistband down with his teeth. He finally yanked both sides of the undergarment with his fists and the shorts came apart. "Mine!" he snarled as he pressed his mouth to her cunt. She was already damp, but he wanted her good and wet. Her citrus on musk smell was driving him wild. She jumped as his tongue licked at her clit. He kept at it till Natasha grabbed his shoulders as she started to swoon and lose her balance from the dizzying stimulation.

The pallet he used after Hulk-outs was against the bulkhead, so he threw down a blanket and guided her gently down onto it. Natasha lay there panting, trying to catch her breath. With a swift jerking motion he pulled off and stepped out of his uniform pants. Bruce stood over her, and she stared up at him. He almost looked feral. His hair was in wild disarray, and he stood there completely naked except for the mud that still streaked his body everywhere his uniform hadn't covered. Bruce's cock was fully erect and ready for her. His movements had gone from rushed and shaky to a deliberately slow, stalking pace. His eyes were so dark and his stare so intense, she didn't dare break contact. She held her breath. He lowered himself to her level before crawling across the mattress to her. He kissed her foot and her calf and her knee and her hip and her stomach.

"Bruce?" she whispered.

"I'm here," he rasped, and he parted her legs. Bruce positioned his body over hers, and she could feel his erection rubbing at her mound. He was teasing her before he slid into her a few inches and then withdrew for a moment before doing it again.

"Please," she panted, thrusting her hips and then leaning up to kiss his jaw where the muscles were tensely working.

"All right. Whose love are you?" he quietly demanded.

"Yours. Only yours, Bruce." She reached up to stroke his mud-stained face and hair. "Nothing comes between us."

"My girl," he growled, and he thrust deep inside her. "No one comes between me and my girl."

"No one," she echoed. Natasha had admittedly been a little unnerved at first, but she trusted Bruce. He was channeling his anger now, and she wasn't about to fight his methods. Because Hulk had been nowhere near tired out, Bruce was also getting his excess energy on top of everything. No wonder he seemed at the edge of his limits. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he took hold of her hands and their fingers intertwined.

He started out slowly, still teasing her a bit, but he picked up the pace and began kissing her throat. He mouthed along her artery before clamping down lower on her neck on the left side. He didn't break the skin, but he was bruising her, marking her as he sucked hard. "I love you," he told her as he moved to the other side and took his time nipping and kissing her as he steadily burried his manhood in her. He was much more gentle as he marked the right side, but it would probably be just as dark.

"I want you to mark me," he said, so she found a clean spot on the left side and bit into him. "Yes!" he almost sobbed. She made sure the mark would be around long enough for him to see, healing factor or not.

Bruce moved his left hand down to her hip and crushed into her with his thrusts. She was getting close to coming. "That's my girl. Come over the edge with me," he whispered.

She writhed underneath him. He squeezed her breast and she came, warm and trembling. "Oh, God! Bruce, oh, Bruce!" She was so tight around him that he only took a few more thrusts before he let go.

"Natasha! My sweet, sweet Natasha!" His rage burnt itself out after he'd emptied himself into her. Bruce waited as they disentangled their limbs. She'd locked her ankles behind his back, and he was careful not to put his weight on her. As she let go, they separated, and he rolled to his right.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes, I'll be okay," he assured her. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, not in a way that wasn't pleasurable." She shifted over to her left side so she could face him. "No regrets for either of us. You were a little scary, but nothing I'd kick out of my bed. The fact that you trust me enough to show me all of you just makes me love you more."

He'd rolled over on his side toward her. "I meant what I said. Nothing comes between us. They want to try and divide us, but it's not going to work."

"I think you made that quite clear to them, and I imagine Logan and Jenn will have driven it home and gotten it in writing."

Friday's voice came lilting over the intercom, "We will be approaching the tower in less than five minutes. Would it be appropriate to land or should I recalculate a more scenic approach?"

They looked at each other and the state of the passenger compartment. "Go ahead and land, Friday," Bruce instructed. "I think we can get put back together in time."

"Speak for yourself," Natasha said as she rolled to her feet and claimed the lavatory first.

Bruce took a little longer getting up, but he had all of the soiled clothing plus the blanket stuffed into an empty duffle very quickly. He pulled on a pair of dark shorts from the back of his locker. He'd be headed straight to the shower, so it wasn't even worth trying to clean up onboard. He found Natasha's duffle and pulled out a set of workout clothes for her. She hadn't shut the door, so he handed them in to her. She grinned at him in the mirror as she got dressed. "You are almost worth a picture."

"That bad, huh?" She took ahold of his hand and pulled him into the narrow space with her in front of the mirror. "Oh. I guess I was sort of rolling in the mud, wasn't I?"

"Yes, before, during, and after the explosion," she noted.

"I'd have thought the rain would have been a little more efficient," he said dryly.

"Nope, nature boy, you almost merit the use of the pressure hose."

His gaze settled on her wine-colored bite marks and bruises, which were not just on her neck, but a few were also on parts of her anatomy he barely remembered kissing, much less biting or marking. "Oh, Nat, what did I do to you?" Bruce lamented, afraid to touch her, yet too horrified and fascinated all at once to look away.

"Nothing I didn't sign up for. You had my consent, so don't even start with the guilt. Besides, I marked you pretty good, too." She reached up and turned his head, so he could see his own purple bruise marking the side of his neck reflected in the mirror.

"At least you bit me back," Bruce said and shook his head.

"Banner, if I didn't like you doing it, I'd have stopped you. Don't for a minute believe I wouldn't," she pointed out.

"Okay, you don't have to use your drill sergeant voice on me. I believe you," he responded and finally smiled.

They could feel the plane bank and set down on the landing pad. "Ms. Romanoff and Dr. Banner," Friday chimed in, "Mr. Stark will be meeting you on the pad."

"Thank you for the heads-up, Friday," Natasha said. Bruce had laid her slicker on the bench seats, and Natasha slipped back into it and the boots for the short walk from the jet's landing pad through the building and down to their apartment. Bruce had the three duffels rounded up. He hadn't bothered to put on his spare shoes or a rain jacket, despite the rainsquall having followed them home. It was only about 8:00pm, but it felt much later.

Tony had the deck attendants use the extended canopy, so they didn't get soaked a second time. He met them as soon as they stepped inside.

"Are you sure you don't want to go stand out in the rain a few more minutes, Bruce, because you could definitely use a presoak?"

"I think I need some soap first," Bruce said.

"Are you two all right? I was just on the phone with Jennifer. Ross's people basically lured you out to a former military base for a surprise inspection, put Bruce through an obstacle course, and then blew up part of the old buildings to get you to Hulk out?"

"Don't forget the part where they blackmailed Nat and Logan to lead me into their little surprise," Bruce said as he scratched his matted hair.

Tony raised his eyebrows and looked at Natasha for confirmation, and she nodded, not wanting to get into the details in front of Bruce just yet.

Bruce knew them both well enough to sense they needed to talk without him. "I'm going to get started on the shower before I feel any itchier," he said and headed down the hall to the elevator with the luggage before either of them could object.

Tony watched Bruce until he was out of sight. He stepped closer to Natasha, "Hey, I don't want to keep you from getting cleaned up, but what's going on?"

She took in a deep breath and held it for a moment. "We're both feeling a lot of guilt right now for different reasons. I broke my promise about not taking away his choices."

"But you didn't have a choice," Tony interrupted. "I read the transcript Jennifer sent already. They really thought Bruce was going to violently Hulk out and attack both you and Logan. They played dirty, but now we've got them. The Oversight Board is having a conference call right now."

"Good, maybe we can get some improvements out of this. I'm not sure it's going to make either of us feel better for a while though."

"Okay, I get that, but what's bothering Bruce?"

"It's private, but he came out of being Hulk very angry about the set up and still having to deal with a lot of unused Gamma energy and the pain on top of it. It's not a good combination."

"Okay," he said, thinking through the complications. "Go ahead. I won't keep you. Just have Friday page me if you need anything."

"Thanks, I'll let you know." Natasha headed down to their apartment, thoroughly surprised Tony hadn't made some remark about her looking like a chew toy. Bruce had already put the muddiest things to soak in the laundry and hung up her uniform, which might be salvageable. She hung up her slicker and left her clothes in the laundry room before stepping into their bedroom and the bathroom. Bruce was already in the shower lathered up with shampoo. "Mind if I join you?" she asked.

"Please do," he said as he turned in her direction. He leaned back his head under the water to rinse the soap off. She thought he looked unbelievably attractive, beautiful even. He was beautiful and broken and hurting, but he still wasn't giving up on her or them. Natasha had always thought of herself as the lethal one, the trained killer who housed a monster just under the attractive exterior. Yet, here she was loving someone willing to give up the parts of himself that he held dearest to make certain she was safe. For her sake, he finally trusted his alter ego. She stepped into his space and embraced him. "Well, hi there," he said, reacting with a bit of surprise and wrapping his arms around her. "You were cold earlier. Did I ever get you warmed up?"

"I could still use a little warming up," she admitted.

"Once I have you warm and clean, we're going to get in comfortable clothes, and I'm going to feed you eggs and toast and bacon until we can't eat anymore. Then we are going to cuddle the rest of the evening and not feel guilty about anything except maybe the bacon."

"That sounds positively heavenly," she told him, and he bent down and they kissed gently. "I trust you, Bruce."

"You know I trust you, Natasha. We're not perfect, but we're both trying. No person, no feeling, nothing comes between us, not even guilt."

"Now, that's the way I like to hear my lover talk," she said with a grin.

Tony picked that moment to break in over the speaker system. "I know you two are completely indisposed, but I thought you'd like to know the Oversight Board has ruled against Ross's people and there will be no second surprise test or spot check or any kind. Also, our request to spend a long weekend at my lodge upstate has finally been granted. Mark your calendars for two weekends from now. It's going to be a party at the lake!"

"Thank you and goodnight, Tony," Bruce said with a laugh.

"Goodnight!" he returned and the speaker's override clicked off.

"Well, he's right. This is cause to celebrate," Bruce noted with a raised eyebrow.

Natasha grinned. "Then we'll have cocoa!"

"Mmm, cocoa and cuddling after eggs and toast and bacon: sounds perfect."

She stood on her toes and kissed him. "Trust me. It is!"

 **End Notes:** If you enjoyed this, please check out my much longer work, _Special Needs: A Bruce and Natasha FanFic_ or the shorter related works.

Please let me know if you like this! I run on the encouragement. Comments, conversations, and questions are always welcome.

Next up, Adam and 'Anna!

 **Notice in Response to anonymous "review" posted and removed on 4 April 2017:** Before you leave a review, please keep in mind these are MY versions of the characters from _Special Needs_ , which has been running for 58 chapters now, so they may not fit your own version in your head or what is in the films or comic books. I provided in-story ques for new readers to help you understand the Bruce-Hulk/Adam dynamic. I will remove any trolling "reviews" that don't take the context into consideration.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Not Really Valentines_**

Part Two

I've Missed You: Adam and 'Anna

 **Summary:** Date Two for Adam and 'Anna: It's past Valentine's Day, but how about a little romance anyway?

 **Notes:** Adam (Hulk) and 'Anna are just embarking on a tentative relationship that started when he frustratedly threw a stone off the edge of his realm into the what he thought was a void. He's not sure how, but it traveled across the Nine Realms and hit Nyxianna who tracked him down and return it a short time later. Here they are on date number two, which takes place a few weeks after the "present" in Special Needs. They've both had some time to consider the ramifications of them pursuing a relationship after what seemed like a too perfect connection the first two times they've been together.

You'll have to read Special Needs if you want the full take on avatars and dragons. In a nutshell, Adam has Hulk and a beast form that is a dragon. As the ruler of Nix (planet under Asgard's protection way across the Nine Realms), Nyxianna has her normal form, an avatar warrior form, and her beast form is also a dragon.

Many thanks to Autumn_Froste for her Beta-reading on the initial drafts! Any mistakes are all mine.

 **Friday, February 26, 2016**

Adam walked the short distance from the lodge to the lakeshore in the late afternoon light, taking his time as he fingered the flat stone in his left pocket. He was a little early, but he wanted to have some time to think before 'Anna arrived. He'd known this would be the right time for a couple of days, so he'd been planning and prepping for it. They'd missed Valentine's Day, but he'd not let that affect his doings. There had been a few things to manage here in his own realm at the replica of Tony's upstate property, but he'd also planned to introduce her to people and show her a bit of New York in the real world if she was agreeable. First, however, Nyxianna had to get here.

Adam leapt up on the first of a curving line of flat-topped boulders that were left over from the excavation of the quarry. They were scattered across the shore and into the shallows. He walked and leapt along the short string of them till he was on the largest and flattest one that sat near the edge of the drop off into deeper water. He sat down and took off his shoes and socks and placed them toward the middle of the rock. Now that he'd started wearing clothing and garments from the real world, he made more of an effort to take care of things. He'd heard somebody mention they thought he was just playing at being human, so he'd made it a point of pride not to take shortcuts or use magic when he was in reality. He ran his hands over his face and felt the spot where he'd nicked himself shaving a few hours ago. It was mostly healed up already, but he was rather proud that he'd managed the routine on his own for a while now since Tony had showed how.

Natasha had cut his hair a few times, too. It was currently shorter than Bruce's but not as short as Steve's military cut. He'd been a little disappointed when she explained his curls made it next to impossible to have a neat part like Steve's or Tony's, but she'd also told him most people preferred his waves and curls anyway. "Look, Sampson, how many people do you see running their fingers through those quaffed dos? Pepper doesn't even mess with Tony's till after 5:00 or 6:00pm. Everyone likes to mess with yours and Bruce's if they know you well enough to try it." He'd decided not to complain. He knew Bruce wasn't very fond of that sort of overly familiar contact, but Adam rather enjoyed the gestures of casual affection from friends. He'd spent most of his life not being touched, so he looked at it as making up for what he'd lost.

Today he was wearing jeans and a green silk and linen blend shirt Pepper had helped him pick to "bring out" his eye color. He'd found that concept pretty redundant since no one had trouble noticing his eye color because, as he'd learned, his dark shade of green was fairly unusual. Natasha's eyes were green, too, but hers were on the hazel-gold end of the spectrum whereas his were on the blue-gray side.

Adam sat down at the boulder's edge, dangled his toes in the clear, cold water, and stared down into the blue-green depths. He knew 'Anna was close, so he pulled the stone out of his pocket and looked at the carved image of Yggdrasil. The tree glowed blue, and he located their respective green and gold points of light near Midgard and on the far side of Asgard. He touched her gold light with his fingertip and waited.

When he opened a portal, Adam primarily used air and fire as his sources of magic; however, he was certain 'Anna's form of sorcery was usually water-based. The last time she arrived, there had been a mist, but now he was impressed to see the clouds begin to gather overhead. The wind picked up and within moments there was a rain shower working its way across the lake. Although he was tempted to conjure up an umbrella, Adam stood up and patiently waited as the rain approached. It halted about twenty yards short of him and a petite feminine figure emerged as the rain dissipated. She was dressed in shades of azure with a loose-fitting shift of French blue and a sort of leggings in royal blue that ended at her shapely bronze calves. Her feet were bare as were her well-muscled arms, and she was grinning with delight as she hovered at Adam's level above the water. For once her pale hair was down though the sides were pinned back behind her ears with some sort of fastenings, so he could see two of the fire opals he'd given her had been mounted as pendant earrings while the third was the centerpiece for her necklace that shown out against her bronze skin.

"Welcome, my Love," Adam said as he stretched out a hand to guide 'Anna as she settled in his arms. She reached around his neck and wrapped her left leg around his waist. He supported her with his left arm under her hip while his right supported her back and he stroked her hair, enjoying the solidness of her in his arms and in his own personal space. It had only been a few weeks, but they both felt starved for one another. "I've missed you so," he whispered. They touched their foreheads together, exchanging quick thoughts and reassurances that all was well, no emergencies to face or universe-sized problems to solve, so they were free to enjoy the moment and meet each other's needs first. Adam held 'Anna close as their warm lips met, full of want and desire. She ran her fingers through his hair, stroking his face, and then she opened her mouth to his gently prodding tongue. He inhaled her spiced rose scent and grasped her shapely backside. Their other forms deep inside were growling and purring in greeting and contentment at being reunited. She answered him back with her own friendly growl and nipped his lower lip, which sent them both into contented giggles.

"I know there's nobody else here, but maybe we should, as your people say, 'get a room'?" 'Anna suggested. She was very good at casually picking out vocabulary from inside his head.

"I'm all for that," Adam said as he used a circular gesture of his right hand to make a portal with a minimal amount of sparking.

"My, you're getting good at that," she said as Adam stepped through the portal into the master bedroom in the lodge with her in his arms.

"Believe me, I've learned my lessons when it comes to portals. I can shorthand and blink from place to place here in my realm, but it's best not to use a sling-ring unless it's to the real world." He didn't have enough hands to grab his shoes and socks, so he had blinked them through and nudged them out of the way under the bed.

Adam slowly turned the two of them in a circle as he shut the portal, so 'Anna could see how he'd spent the last few hours preparing for her. The sun was headed down on the far side of the lodge, so the stars were just becoming visible through the windows and skylight. The room was aglow in candlelight from several clusters of long white beeswax tapers around the room, and there were numerous vases of wild flowers and old fashioned roses in multiple colors.

"Oh, light of the Vishanti! This is beautiful, Adam," she whispered in awe. Adam backed up to the large bed and carefully sat down while holding her. Laughing, 'Anna used his momentum to take him over on his back. She straddled his hips, and they looked adoringly at each other before she leaned forward over him, kissing him in a line along the left side of his jaw and neck. "Tell me, Mr. Banner," she said between kisses, "are you trying to seduce me?"

"Oh dear, you're onto me," he teased as he nuzzled into her kisses. "I was going to play piano for you, but I guess that can wait." She unbuttoned his shirt and kissed lower down his throat to his bare chest. "Oh, yah, it can wait. 'Anna, you feel so good," he moaned with pleasure. For so long he'd been afraid he wouldn't enjoy this, that he wouldn't like physical contact. He'd been little more than a ghost-like entity most of his life, so he had no idea just how delightful it was to be touched in a loving or sensual way until recently. 'Anna had worked her way down his stomach to his belt buckle. She seemed quite fascinated with his chest and body hair. "If we're going to do this, we need to talk first," he told her.

She leaned back and finally spoke, "All right, we are in agreement. We're not going to make offspring, correct? This is purely for recreational and bonding purposes."

"Agreed," he said. "The condoms are on the nightstand when we need them. I am not suffering from elevated radiation levels." He paused and wiggled his eyebrow at her dramatically. "Now, my expert opinion is we're both wearing too many clothes." Adam leaned forward and reached around her to undo the fasteners down the back of her shift blouse while 'Anna waited as patiently as she could, running her hands over his broad shoulders and back and nibbling his ear. "Did this thing come with directions?" he asked once he could finally pull the blue garment forward and off of her. As Anna's lovely breasts came free, he leaned forward briefly to fondle and kiss each in turn. She gave him an amused smile as he gazed up into her stormy blue eyes while he cheekily flicked his tongue across one of her nipples. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

"That you're very teachable and rather incorrigible."

That pleased him a great deal because this was their first and only his second time ever making love since he'd had a mutual "deflowering" with her avatar a few weeks ago. "All you have to do is tell me or show me what you want," he told her as he straightened up. "My purpose tonight is to make you happy, 'Anna." She leaned toward him and pulled him into a deep kiss as he took her in his arms. They didn't stop until they were both in need of air.

Adam wanted to start taking off her leggings, which seemed much more straightforward than the blouse, but she grinned and pushed him back as she took her turn unfastening his belt and then his jeans. He was working on a serious hard-on, so they both stood up and he helped her tug the pants off. She fondled him through his briefs, rubbing with just enough friction to make him want the underwear immediately gone. 'Anna reached around him and slid her hands down the back of his briefs, digging her fingernails in as she squeezed his butt cheeks while pressing her front and hips into him. "So, 'recreational and bonding purposes'?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That means, we're going to have fun," she said with a wicked little smile as she yanked his briefs down and his cock finally sprang free. 'Anna wrapped her hand around him and firmly stroked his shaft.

"Careful," he warned, "I'm still getting used to this." He was a little surprised at her forwardness, but she was certainly skilled.

"I'll be gentle then," she said, and she sat him back on the edge of the bed, moving his legs apart as she bent down on her knees in front of him on the plush carpet. 'Anna placed her first two fingers and thumb around the base of his shaft and licked up the underside of his length. Shivers of pleasure ran along Adam's spine and he grabbed the bedspread up in his fists. 'Anna slid back his foreskin and blew softly across the swelling, newly-exposed head of his cock, which made him twitch and jerk involuntarily.

"Oh, 'Anna," he groaned and leaned back on his elbows so he could watch her. He couldn't help but grab more of the bedding. "You're going to set me off."

"Not just yet," she assured him. She teased him a bit with her tongue as she licked and stroked him before taking about half of his length into her mouth and bobbing up and down as her saliva and his pre-come slicked him up and she took him deeper. He wanted to grab her hair and he wanted to thrust, but he settled for throwing his head back and letting her do whatever she wanted, which was about all he could take.

"Oh, my stars and garters, 'Anna, I'm going to come," he told her. She gave him a wicked little look, and he could feel his balls constricting as she drove him to the edge. Her tongue teased the slit at the tip of his very sensitive head before she took his length in again and gave him a hard suck. With that he came in her mouth and without hesitating she swallowed his load. He lay back on the bed and let the endorphins wash over him and she soon climbed into his arms. "Thank you," he whispered.

"You're very welcome. Surprisingly salty," she remarked, and he pulled her over onto his chest and met her lips. She tasted of him and of her, and Adam didn't want to stop kissing her. 'Anna's fingers massaged his chest, and she soon found his nipples. She pulled back from kissing for a moment to look at him. "In most ways, you are quite similar to Nixians, but in others we're quite different."

"How so?"

"Your body is much more responsive to what I'm doing to you. You're there in the present with me. I treasure that."

"How could I not be?" he asked as he stroked her face. "I've missed you so much. I want to experience all of you that I can in the time we have. Tell me how I can make you happy, 'Anna."

"Hold me. Love me for me."

Adam grinned, "My heart is yours. My body is yours, 'Anna. As much as it can be." He ran his hands over her strong back and shoulders before slipping them under her waistband to massage her backside. "These pants are coming off," he told her. She rolled to the side and pulled them off, tossing them over the back of chair where the other clothes had ended up. Adam turned over and directed her to the middle of the bed where he placed a pillow under her hips. "Turnabout is fair play," he told her as he parted her legs and directed her to place them over his shoulders. He kissed along the insides of her thighs, gnawing her gently with his lips and teeth. She sighed and then moaned as he closed in on her labia. "It really gets me excited to see how wet you are for me," Adam told her in a husky whisper. He rubbed and then parted her nether lips with his thumbs then kissed her inner opening.

She was beginning to squirm, and she pressed her hips into him. He worked higher and licked her clit, which made her jump. They both laughed. "I'm sorry. It's been a while," she said. He continued to kiss and lick her darkening intimate parts that contrasted with the golden tones of her thighs and the pale patch of hair. Her musky perfume of lush roses and exotic spices practically had him drunk on her. He was getting hard again. Adam thought about collecting a condom from the nightstand. "How do you want me to bring you off?" he asked her.

"Put on a condom and do it slow," 'Anna told him.

He stroked himself to fullness and applied the commercial brand condom. 'Anna looked at the packaging. "What? No zucchini this time?"

"No, that was Tony's joke. This is just a name brand, ribbed condom. I'm big, but I'm not custom condom big in this form."

"Thank the Enlightened Ones," she said with a laugh and he snickered.

"I do worry about that. My brother gets obsessed with it from time to time, but we've both managed it fine so far without endangering a partner."

"Okay, then let's try this one out."

He positioned himself between her legs and kissed his way up from her pale mound to her stomach and abs. He kissed her breasts, squeezed, and played with them as he rubbed himself against her thigh. Adam wanted to mark her, but he wasn't sure if she'd want that. "Go ahead," she told him. "I like when you suck my breasts." So he gave her a quick smile and focused his attention on her left nipple, taking it into his mouth and rolling the tip with his tongue. She cried out as he sucked hard and marked her. He watched her carefully to make sure she was feeling pleasure and not so much pain before he switched to the right breast and did the same. She ran her hands through his hair, "Yes, Lover, I want you."

Adam moved up her body and his cock rubbed against her mound. She reached down and guided him into her. He followed her request and took it as slowly as he could. She was so wet that he easily glided into her and filled her up as she gasped, and then she moaned as he slowly withdrew. He licked the side of her neck and nibbled up to her ear. She wrapped her right leg around his hip as he took his time pressing into her and grinding his hips into hers. Adam licked her earlobe and played with it with his tongue, sucking and then carefully using his teeth.

"Oh, yes, yes!" she encouraged him. 'Anna's hands ran over his shoulders and down his back, grabbing his glutes. He kept his thrusts tortuously slow until she wanted more. Steadily, he kept up his rhythm, feeling her tightening up around him.

"Are you ready to come for me, 'Anna?" he whispered.

"Yes, make me come, Adam," she panted with his thrusts. He sped up, getting rougher, more intense. She cried out and dug into his back with her fingernails. Her internal muscles clamped down as her orgasm rolled through her. He saw her lips color to a ruby red and her complexion blushed darker.

In a few more thrusts, Adam was close. "You're mine," he told her as he came for the second time. They lay together breathing heavily and catching their breaths until they carefully turned together onto their sides, still connected as was her specie's custom.

"I'm yours as much as I can be, Adam," 'Anna said as she touched her fingertips to his face and stroked his hair. "How old are you?"

Adam puffed out his cheeks as he exhaled. This was tricky because he'd probably only had a physical body for a handful of months. They still hadn't gotten that question answered. "Bruce is forty-three, so I guess I'm the same age. Why?"

"How old do you think I am?"

As inexperienced as he was, Adam knew to tread carefully around a woman's age. "Twenty?" he guessed, hoping not to insult her. She smiled and shook her head. "Twenty-five?" Still no. "Thirty?"

"Try sixty-eight in your years."

"Really?" He found this fascinating. "Nixians must have much longer lifespans."

"We do. Roughly twice yours though I suspect you are an exception, Adam," she said quite seriously. "I suppose my point is I want us to have a long time together, but we may or may not, so we should enjoy what time we do have like this. While we're here, I'm as much yours as I can be."

Adam rubbed his forehead against hers. "I can't ask for more than that." She kissed him and they cuddled close. "Well, you've not asked me about poetry yet," he kidded her.

That made her laugh. "It's all right. You don't have to impress me with poetry. That's just an old, old tradition. My avatar is fond of it, but I'll not put that kind of pressure on you."

"Well, I have been thinking about it since the last time. We just missed Valentine's Day, which is a rather commercialized excuse to buy chocolates and cards with bad poetry."

"It sounds frighteningly familiar," she teased. "How bad?"

"Um, okay. Roses are red and your eyes are blue. Your lips are like heaven and I've fallen for you."

They both chuckled. "I've heard worse," she admitted, "but if the candles and flowers are a part of it, I rather like those."

"Good, they are. Well, aside from the corny poetry, I wanted to tell you, I don't just _think_ I can love you. I know now _I do love you_ , 'Anna. It's going to take time, but I want to make this work. I'll ply you with chocolates and sing to you later. Right now, just being with you is enough."

"Oh, Adam, I've waited too long for someone to say something as wonderful as that to me and mean it. When you have suitors and courtiers, they're mostly full of flattery and hot air. Everybody wants something whether it's wealth or power or influence, but you're very different, Adam. You're completely open and sincere. I don't even need to touch you to read that you do love me for myself."

'Anna stroked his face, and Adam kissed her hand, nuzzling into her touch. 'Anna could feel his genuine affection for her—simple, warm, and accepting. It held all the promise of deepening and lasting. She would have embraced and chosen Adam for himself alone, but his other forms made him a unique match for her and her alter egos. 'Anna wanted this relationship to happen on so many levels. Yet, that small skeptic's voice in the back of her mind said they still seemed too conveniently right for each other for it to be true. Initially, she'd been outright suspicious—who throws stones across dimensions? Naturally, she'd spent the time since that first meeting investigating what brought them to each other's attention, but neither her emissaries nor she had found anything sinister or Machiavellian at work. One researcher had unearthed an obscure reference to dragons exchanging stones, but nothing more had been discovered. Could it be blind chance or good fortune or had fate stepped in and said, _Here's your chance. Take it!_ to her? She just didn't know.

"You're right," she told Adam as she enjoyed the feel of the hair on his chest beneath her palms. "We have time. We'll make it work for both of us." She kissed his forehead and then his lips before she whispered, "I love you, too." With that, 'Anna took down her mental barriers and shields and let him read her to his heart's content.

Adam was immediately humbled she had done this for him, and he offered her the same privilege though there was very little he'd tried to keep from her. He was gentle and respectful with his probing, not wanting to push her trust too far. He wanted to know what she cared about, what she liked, what she wanted from him. He let her emotions and thoughts wash over him while he opened up to her. They both had a very practical and pragmatic approach to life. There was strength and ruthlessness, but in her case, it had all been used to preserve her independence and benefit her people. There had been very few occasions when the weight of responsibility hadn't rested on her shoulders. As he looked back further, he wasn't surprised by her sadness and the feeling of being alone because he'd felt the same way most of his life. She'd had to stand alone in a public capacity while he'd been abandoned, confined, and isolated.

Adam felt her peering inside and experiencing part of his shared childhood with Bruce, piecing together the beauty and brutality of his formless existence. She relived the accident with him and found it was confusion and pain and sequestration. She empathized as he struggled with Bruce and the Gamma and his physical manifestation as Hulk. The past nine months were like an emergence from a chrysalis, a slow but steady recovery and rebirth into whom he should have been. 'Anna found the skepticism that mirrored hers about what or who had brought them together and an acceptance that he didn't want to fight his feelings for her. She admired his fierce devotion to his brother and friends and a growing determination to work through their own relationship and keep his ties intact. His hopes for the future were fluid, but they included her.

'Anna felt her body relax and release Adam, but he stayed where he was. He was already starting to get hard once more. "Do you want to go again?" he asked her, rubbing forehead to forehead.

She pressed her body along the length of his. The feel of his body hair and the suppleness of his skin had her aroused and quickly gearing up all over again. "I could do another round," 'Anna purred.

Adam leaned over and switched out the used condom for a new one. He looked ahead to the day when they wouldn't use these, when he would take her in all three of their forms. His dragon rumbled its approval, and 'Anna smiled in agreement as he stroked himself hard and she guided him inside her. "One day, my paramour . . . one day."

 **End Notes:** If you enjoyed this chapter, please check out my much longer work, _Special Needs: A Bruce and Natasha FanFic_ or the shorter related works.

Please let me know if you like this one and the characters! I run on the encouragement. Comments, conversations, and questions are always welcome.

Next up, Tony and Pepper!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary:** Pepper has had about enough of Tony compulsively breaking his promise not to make more suits. How do you get someone who wants to protect everyone else to slow down and take care of himself?

 **Notes:** Kudos and a Purple Heart for Autumn_Froste whose whole house is having health issues that won't let up. Please send healing thoughts her way. I also had Beta help from Emily on Wattpad! Many thanks to both! I've had some requests for me to write a Tony x Pepper piece for a good while, so here it is. This story would take place shortly after _Special Needs_ ends. I've never written Pepperony before, so I hope it meets everyone's standards! Fluff to mature with a brief mention of PTSD. Enjoy!

 _Not Really Valentines_

Part Three of Three

Negotiations: Pepper and Tony

Tony knew she meant business because Pepper walked in wearing the navy-blue Armani. The suit was one his favorites because he had to talk her into buying it on their first trip to Italy after she became CEO. He had tried to pay for it as a gift, but she'd threatened him quite effectively. She'd insisted on the darkest of navy blues in a lamb's wool blend that was so soft that it hardly needed a lining. The darn thing fit her tall, shapely form like a well-tailored glove. He was pretty certain she was sending him a message that she remembered their history and this was something she'd gotten her way over.

The strawberry blonde executive had her hair tied back, and she was also sporting a sexy pair of red Capezios with lethal-looking heals that he didn't remember her wearing before, probably because they were new. They were the same shade of deep red as her matching briefcase, nails, lipstick, and come to think of it, the Mark III armor. He'd thought the shoes were a statement about her independence, but now that he'd noticed everything was orchestrated in a crimson symphony of accessories, he wasn't so sure of his interpretation.

Her jewelry, on the other hand, he couldn't mess up. Pepper had on the matching pearl earrings and necklace he'd bought her on their second anniversary of admitting they were dating. The more he thought about it, he didn't really like the message she might be sending with that either. If they were a normal couple, it would be a real anniversary. Maybe that was the point: they simply weren't a normal couple because he was just too messed up to have a predictable, stable relationship. God, she deserved so much better.

They were meeting in the smaller conference room close to her office because she'd insisted they do this with some formality. He stopped leaning back and swiveling in his chair and placed both feet on the floor and straightened up. He at least owed her some respect. He'd forgotten his jacket somewhere between there and the R&D floor, but otherwise he wasn't dressed too shabbily in his Tom Ford slacks, dress shirt, and vest. She liked vests. Brownie points for remembering that.

Pepper smiled and set her briefcase on the table. "Thank you for making time in your schedule and meeting me here, Tony."

He smiled back. "No problem, Pep."

"Do you have any idea why we're here?" she asked.

"Uh, you want to renegotiate part of the lease?"

"No," she said, blue eyes growing a few degrees cooler and steelier.

"Prenuptial?" he tried to joke.

"Try again."

"Was there an email or a memo on this because I'm drawing a blank? Help me out, Pep."

She almost growled at him. "You'll notice there are no lawyers present. I'd like to keep it that way, but you need to take this seriously, Tony."

"I will. I always try to take you with the utmost seriousness." She snorted at that. "I'm sorry, I've been distracted working on the medical triage project, the nano capacitator, and . . . uh, the new deep space armor." Pepper crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I get it."

"We're here because you promised me this obsessive armor building was going to stop."

"Right. About that . . ."

"I know you are going to argue how much you need them, how much the world is going to need them, so I'm not asking that you stop completely. However, you need to get this under control, Tony."

"Not to be a smartass, but how do you define 'under control'?" he asked.

She leaned across the table so she was right at eyelevel with him. "That's up for negotiations. How many do you currently have?"

"Currently operational? Twenty-two."

"How many of them can you wear at once?"

"One but that's not enough for day-to-day use because they need maintenance or there need to be modifications."

"How many for day-to-day?"

"Uh, twenty?"

"TONY!"

"Twelve? I think I can cover all the needs with a dozen."

"All right, I'm going to leave it up to you which dozen stay, but the other ten are going to find new homes or be recycled."

"But . . . !"

"No buts. You can send a couple up to the new Avengers facility or you can see if they'll fit in Rhodey's garage, but I want it down to a dozen in two weeks."

"But Rhodey only has a little, dinky garage. It's hardly more than a carport and laundry room."

"So, I'm sure the government would like to buy a few. Maybe they'll rent him some space."

"Oh, no-no-no! They'll be stuffing some wing jockey's butt into it and super-gluing all kinds of second-rate tech on it—just like they did with the Mark II."

"Not gonna be your problem."

Tony sat there and scowled for few moments. "If I rebuild the Malibu armory, are you going to have a problem with that if I just use it for housing what I've already got?"

"Hmmm. As long as you're not trying to rebuild the whole collection, I'm open to that possibility. Have you thought about donating a couple to the Smithsonian or the Air and Space Museum?"

"They would have to be disabled and disarmed to do that. I'd rather give one to Hank Pym than do that."

"My, that's amazingly honest of you. I imagined he'd think it was a Trojan horse and leave it on the lawn," she almost giggled.

"That's not funny," he said with another scowl. "However, that does give me some ideas about loaning one to Norman Osborn."

She cleared her throat. "Play nice."

Tony suddenly perked up. "Adam has a bunch of space, couldn't I just have him store them in his dimension?"

"You'd be violating a treaty if any of them were weaponized," she said soberly.

"Damn, whose idea was that?"

"I believe it was equal parts yours, Bruce's, Jenn's, and Adam's doing," she said without trying to rub in the irony.

"Well, this sucks. You've kind of backed me into a corner here, Pep. What are the consequences if I don't get all of them new homes in time?"

"Oh, I have a fairly substantial list of possibilities here," Pepper said as she finally opened up her briefcase and handed him a folder.

Tony started reading through the list. "Section One: Conjugal Access?!"

"Might as well start right where it hurts."

"What do you mean by 'Cohabitation Alternatives'?"

"I hear the lounge couch in R&D is comfy in a pinch," she replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, come on. Compared to falling asleep at a workstation maybe?" Pepper just grinned at him, so Tony continued reading further down the list. "Whoa, how did cars get on here? No! Not the '32 Ford Flathead! It just came back from the paint guy two months ago. Please . . . ?" Her arms were crossed and those lovely dark red nails were drumming on her forearms. "Okay, that looks like a NO." He scanned on down the list. "Hey, Bruce is on here!"

"He said it was okay," Pepper replied nonchalantly as she inspected her perfect nails.

"Is this personal or professional contact?"

"Just professional, but it is pretty hard to tell the difference with you two."

Tony narrowed his eyes, "Natasha is in on this, isn't she?"

"I believe her title is Compliance Enforcer, but yes, she did suggest putting Bruce first on the list. You're a bad influence, Mr. Stark," Pepper tut-tutted with a shake of her beautiful head that caused a lock of her hair to fall just right over her shoulder.

"First?" Tony pursed his lips, but he didn't say anything more as he flipped through another few pages. Rhodey was there as was Happy and finally Dum-E. Oh, now that one was truly low. Thank God, she'd forgotten James Watt, the bedraggled stuffed bear in the back of his top sock drawer . . . or had she? "Okay, okay, I know when I'm beat, Ms. Potts." She walked around the conference table to him as Tony slumped on his elbows with his head resting on his fists, like a middle schooler caught in an elaborate hall pass scam.

Pepper arched a flawless brown eyebrow at him. "One thing we've learned from the Agreements is that it can't all be punitive without having goals and rewards." She handed him a second folder.

Tony didn't look too enthused as he flipped the folder open, but he soon perked up as he read through the details. "Really, a whole day of mutual vacation per hour of counseling session?"

"Only if you take it seriously," she stipulated. "No baffling the therapist with bull. I'm willing to do couples with you if you'll work with someone individually. Lee and Cynthia have put together a list of professionals with experience treating PTSD." Pepper watched Tony closely for a reaction to the acronym.

He pressed his lips together in a determined smile. "Okay, I'm willing to give it a shot," he said mildly as he scooted his chair back from the table and looked up at Pepper. She stepped in next to him on his left side, and he wrapped his arm around her hips. "So where do I sign?" he asked as he looked for a set of blank lines at the end.

"No need to sign. Just promise me you'll take care of the ten suits and show up for the appointments," Pepper explained as she ran her fingers through his dark hair.

"Well, if you won't take a signature or a handshake, how about this, Ms. Potts?" He skillfully maneuvered the chair so his knee bumped the back of hers, and she landed neatly in his lap. Pepper knew it was coming, but pretending to be surprised was part of the fun.

"Oh, Mr. Stark! You have saved me from a nasty tumble," she cried melodramatically as he wrapped his arms around her. Tony went right for the ticklish spot behind her ear, instinctively trying to avoid ruining her makeup while his fingers found her equally sensitive ribs. "Whoa, there, hero! We have a dinner invitation."

"It's just Bruce and Nat."

"And Adam," she reminded him. "He's been working hard on his cooking basics." Tony pulled back and gave her a skeptical look. "He did really well with the grilled cheese and homemade tomato bisque a few days ago, so don't turn up your nose just yet."

"Wouldn't want to insult the Hulk," he chuckled. "We've still got a couple of hours to get casual or maybe something else—more _relaxed_?"

"I bet we could work it into the schedule," she said with one of her mischievous grins that he loved so much. Life was so much better when they were simpatico. Pepper gave him a quick peck on the cheek and hopped up from his lap. She scooped up the paperwork and tapped them on the table to square their edges up before handing Tony the folders. She barely had time to grab her briefcase before he had her hand in his as he led her down the hall to the elevators and used his palm print to open the private one straight up to their penthouse.

Pepper had to give them both full marks for waiting till the lift's metal doors were closed before they both dropped the paperwork and briefcase on the floor and thoroughly enjoyed messing up her lipstick, smudge-proof or not.

The elevator opened straight into their foyer. Tony had managed to pick up the folders and get them onto the table where they tended to drop their keys and such. He grabbed the briefcase she'd retrieved and tossed it onto the nearest couch. He was pretty sure the Stark-pad inside could take a lot more punishment than that, so he wasn't too worried about the impact. Pepper undid his tie and pulled it off as he unbuttoned the Armani. Tony had her down to the lacy cream camisole before Pepper had his shirt off. It was sort of an unsaid thing that they were responsible for their own shoes; otherwise, it was all about who could undress the other the fastest. From time to time there were casualties like popped buttons or snags or runners to ruin a pair of her silk stockings, but after a few years they were quite adept at being intentional about what was left in ruins.

Now, came the part where they slowed and became less frantic. He'd stripped Pepper down to the matching panties and bra that in turn went with the garters and stockings. "Please don't take the shoes off yet, Pep." He retrieved the small linen handkerchief out of his shirt pocket and meticulously wiped the out-of-place lipstick away from her cheeks. She quite pertly took the sacrificial hankie from him and returned the favor, wiping him down before she unlatched his belt. Tony backed up a step. He was trying to decide if her lingerie ensemble was cream and peach or pink. Either way it looked quite appealing with the racy red of the lipstick and those heels. My, her legs just went on and on. He was also thinking cupcakes and valentines.

"Pink and Stark Raving Red," Pepper said with a knowing little smile since she knew how the design-oriented part of his thought process went.

"Really?! Did we license it?" Tony blurted in surprise.

"We gave our permission. A percentage goes to battered-women's shelters."

"Good. Pink and cream, hmm?"

"Correct. Now, let's see about what you have left on," Pepper purred as she stepped forward and unhooked his dark slacks. Her hand was warm as she slid it down his abs and into his boxers. He'd started getting hard since they entered the elevator, so he was edging quickly over from _wanting_ to _needing_ as her clever fingers gently touched him. Tony exhaled with a sigh at the pleasurable feeling of her stroking him. Just thinking about her red nails and red, red lips had his engine revving, but oh, she knew just how to move him one bit closer at a time. Slow could be so frustrating, but Pepper always made it worth his while.

He tried not to seem too desperate as he grasped her hips, touching the lace and satin and feeling her warm curves beneath his hands. Tony leaned a little forward and Pepper met his lips with hers. There wasn't that much lipstick left, but he did his best to get it off of her and on him with every kiss. She finally had his pants and boxers dispatched to the floor, and then she was running those hot red nails down his spine. He breathed in sharply as she left four thin furrows on either side of his ass. "Oh, my tigress is ready to come out and play?"

Pepper smiled wickedly as she bit his lower lip and growled. He chuckled and she let go. That was all the encouragement he needed. Tony grabbed her around the waist, and she threw her arms around his neck. "Bed?" she asked.

"Bed," he replied as she wrapped her legs around him, and he stepped out of the pile of slacks and boxers on the floor. He still had his socks on as he walked her down the hall and laid her on the bed. Tony paused for a moment to look at her on the silvery gray bedding. Oh, yah, cupcakes and valentines! Tony lay down beside Pepper, and she curled around him, rolling him onto his back. He was good with that because sometimes Pepper liked being on top. He, on the other hand, liked watching and looking at her no matter what position they used.

She was now rubbing her satiny, silky panties against his abs and stomach, he finally let go and groaned with appreciation. "Oh, Pep, you are such an evil woman. You are torturing me."

She laughed, "Well, that means so much coming from as big of a 'tease' as you, Mr. Stark. Waltzing into the meeting room without your jacket and that tight shirt and pants with just the vest on."

"Uh, okay? Guilty, I guess?"

She leaned over him and firmly took ahold of his wrists and pinned them above his head, bring her lace-covered breasts right up to his face. Tony leaned up and rubbed his face between them before he focused on Pepper's right side and sucked her nipple through the thin material until the tip was stiffly balled into the cutest of nubs. Pepper hummed her satisfaction and shifted slightly, so he could pay attention to the left side with just enough tongue and a little teeth to get the same effect. All this time and her hips hadn't stopped rubbing into him oh, so slowly. Tony was now balancing between _Want_ and _Need_ , but _NEED_ was going to win out very soon.

"Oh, God, Pep, please let me take those panties off," he groaned.

"Well, since you did say please, I suppose they are getting a little hot. First though, I do need someone to take off these shoes."

Now, that sounds promising, he thought. She let his wrists go, and he quickly rolled them both over, so he could get to her shoes. He'd been right, they were new with hardly any wear on the soles. He'd thought they were Capezios, but they were handmade and didn't sport a label. He looked at her questioningly. "What are these?"

"Custom made by Juan Flores from a little storefront close to the theater district."

He slipped the left one off and examined it, breathed in the leather and the salty hint of her sweat, which was still quite warm and pleasant. "Does he . . . ?"

"Do men's shoes? Not yet, but you could always ask."

Tony reached over and plucked off the other "Stark Raving Red" shoe and gently set them down on the floor by the nightstand and then turned his attentions back to her. The fun part was that the garters would have to come off before the panties came down or something was going to get ruined. Tony was okay with either approach, he just wanted to see which one Pepper preferred at the moment.

She'd been watching him and waiting till he gave her that questioning look. "Find the snaps," she suggested.

"Oh!" he said with a grin and finally found the little devils under the pink rosettes riding her hipbones on the sides. "This is nice," he said as he leaned over her and examined the design.

"Oh, come on and just pop them off, Tony!"

"Are you sure?"

"Like five minutes ago sure."

With that he unfastened both sides. "I didn't pop your cherries, but . . ."

"But you unfastened my rosettes."

"I ought to get some credit for that," he sniffed with mock indignation.

"Tony, focus."

He chuckled and gently pulled the cream lace and rosettes free and surprised Pepper by kissing her stomach and working his way up her torso. He took a moment to blow a raspberry on her abs that had her quickly laughing. "God, you're awful! Cut it out!"

"Have I bearded you yet? No, I'm not awful until I've bearded you in a bad spot," he insisted. "And I'm not going to." He unfastened the single hook at the front of her bra and kissed up her throat as he gently worked her breasts free of their lacy confines. He decided the pearls could stay.

"Okay, this is more like it," Pepper sighed. Tony nibbled at her ear, but he avoided the temptation to do all sorts of rather juvenile things. He finally positioned himself over her, and she wrapped her knees around his hips. Pepper had long been on the pill, so he didn't hesitate when she reached between them and stroked his erect shaft to fullness before guiding him into her. She was deliciously tight and wet.

"I'm seriously enjoying this, tiger lady," he whispered in her ear. She obliged him with a scraping of her nails down his back and he groaned as he found his rhythm, plunging deep as they pressed their hips together.

"Yes!" she growled and held him as close as possible. He kissed her on the mouth briefly and kept up their rhythm. The feel of her stockings and the garter belt against his skin were so nice. He could tell he was getting close and Pepper was, too. "Tony, harder!" she gasped. He grabbed the bedding with one hand and her left shoulder with the other to get better leverage. "Yes! Yes!" Pepper flushed a beautiful shade of dark pink underneath the freckles and pearls as she came. He finally let go and felt the rush of orgasm take him. Fireworks! Bright burst of fireworks working through him down to his nerve ends! They lay still, breathing deep and letting their hearts catch up.

Pepper ran a stockinged foot down the back of his leg and grinned at him. Tony kissed the end of her nose and nuzzled into her loose red-gold tresses. She stroked his back, hoping her nails hadn't raked him too deeply. Tony carefully withdrew and flopped over on his back quite dramatically beside her. "Don't you dare fall asleep," she told him.

"No, just relaxing for a few minutes. Still got to clean up, but there's plenty of time." He turned over on his side toward her. "What would I ever do without you, Pep?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "Let's not find out." He smiled and stroked her stomach, unfastening the garter belt for her.

"So, what are we bringing to dinner? A red or white?"

"I think we're having pasta a couple of different ways, so one of both since Nat will be drinking water and you and Bruce and I will be the only ones having more than a taste of wine."

"The Big Guy doesn't like wine?"

"Adam is trying to get over having the palate of a middle schooler. It's not like he's stuck on fruit punch and Kool-aide, but he's not used to a lot of strong tastes."

"Hmm, I guess he is playing catch up. At least he's a quick study with most things. I only had to show him how to shave once. I'm still not sure why he didn't just ask Bruce."

"Maybe he admires your barbering skills?"

"Or maybe Nat sent him because she needed some space," he said with a snort. "Every time she turns around there is probably a Banner underfoot."

Pepper frowned, "I don't think so. He's in his dimension or whatever you call it most of the week." She leaned over and kissed Tony on the forehead before gracefully rolling to a sitting position and getting up. "You'll have to ask him in a bit. I call shower first unless you want to join me."

"Oh, I'm a joiner," he said, and he got up and followed her into the bathroom. He congratulated himself for not attempting to snap her unfastened garter as he slipped it off over her hip and slid the stocking down.

"Why thank you, Mr. Stark," Pepper said with a warm, lazy smile as he handed the stockings and lacy fasteners to her after he'd rolled them off her legs. "I may just have to keep you."

Tony carefully took off her necklace while she removed the pearl earrings. "Well," he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist, "that is the best feedback I've had in a long, long time." He was going to leave it at that,but then he had a really brilliant idea. "Do you think Barton would rent me a stall in his barn?"

 **End Note:** Well, these three shorts have been fun to write, so I hope you enjoyed reading them. I wanted to show three couples with different styles and at different stages in their relationships. Please make my day and let me know what you think!


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